The Telangana government’s decision to auction 100 acres of prime land at Budvel in Rajendranagar on the outskirts of Hyderabad on Thursday, to make big money, has angered the legal fraternity in the state.
The land, located in Survey Nos. 282 to 289, was originally proposed by the government to be allotted to the high court for constructing a new high court complex in 2012.
“However, the proposal was pushed into cold storage after the formation of a separate Telangana state in 2014. There has been no response from the state government despite repeated reminders from the high court registry to allot the land or at least a portion of it,” a senior advocate of the Telangana high court, seeking anonymity, said.
The Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA), which raised ₹3,320 crore through auction of 45.33 acres at Kokapet on the outskirts of Hyderabad last week, has put up the Budvel land for sale on Thursday.
According to the notification released on August 4, the HMDA divided 100 acres of land at Budvel into 14 parcels, each comprising 3.47 acres to 14.33 acres. The government hopes to generate a revenue of ₹3,000- ₹3,500 crore from the auction of Budvel land, which is located close to the Outer Ring Road and in proximity to Rajiv Gandhi International Airport and the IT corridor.
{{/usCountry}}According to the notification released on August 4, the HMDA divided 100 acres of land at Budvel into 14 parcels, each comprising 3.47 acres to 14.33 acres. The government hopes to generate a revenue of ₹3,000- ₹3,500 crore from the auction of Budvel land, which is located close to the Outer Ring Road and in proximity to Rajiv Gandhi International Airport and the IT corridor.
{{/usCountry}}On Tuesday, the Telangana high court Advocates Association (THCAA) filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the high court, seeking a stay on the proposed auction of Budvel land, which was originally proposed to be allocated for construction of new high court building.
THCAA secretary Katta Pradeep Reddy said the high court registry had made a representation to the state government in March 2012 for allotment of the land to the high court building and the government, too, responded favourably. “But now, the sudden notification from the HMDA for auction of the land came as a rude shock to the legal fraternity,” Reddy said.
Last week, the association submitted a representation to high court chief justice Alok Aradhe and sought his intervention in the matter. They requested him to ensure that the land meant for the high court building should be protected. “The chief justice referred the matter to the government and sought its reaction,” the senior advocate quoted above said.
Some of the advocates, however, are against the proposal to shift the high court from the existing high court building to some other place. “The present majestic and imposing building built by the Seventh Nizam in 1920 on the southern bank of the Musi river has all the facilities. It is a landmark of Hyderabad,” another senior advocate of the high court said.
He said if the high court needs additional accommodation, the adjacent space could be used for expansion. “If the present structure is vacated, there is every possibility of this heritage building being neglected and prone for demolition in the coming years,” he argued.